Life-boat.



W. R. PARKINSON.

LIFE BOAT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.19, 1914.

1,129,718. Patented Feb.23,'1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Mr/fvwm@ ntomas/11 Wil/names W. R. PARKINSUN.

LIFE BOAT.

APPLIOATION FILED Amma, 1914.

l1 29,71 8. Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

8O. tional view of the head covering hood and the clampingv means therefor;

' an srarns rarnur onirica WILLIAM YT13.. PARKINSON, 0F CENTR/ALIA., ILLINOIS.

LIFE-BOAT.

To all whom t mayA concern Be it known that l, WILLIAM R. PAnKrN- soN, a citizen of the United States, residlng at Centralia, in the county of Marlon and State of Illinois,.have invented new and useful Improvements in Life-Boats, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to life saving boats, the main object of the invention being to provide a collapsible unsinkable life boat embodying internally controlled propelling means, means for supplying ventilation to the interior of the boat without danger of admitting water, and also means for reliably balancing the boat when aiioat or preserv.

ing the equilibrium thereof.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

ln. the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a perspective View of the collapsible frame of the boat, omitting a portion of the iiexible covering. Fig. 2 is a view of said frame-when collapsed or folded. Figq is a vertical cross section through the, boat showing the propelling means. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view v*of one of the ventilation tubes. Fig.5 is a detail vertical sec- Fig. 6 is a detail view showing another form of door or hatch for the boat. Fig. 7 is a perspective View of the boat when fully covered. Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 4. Fig. 9 is a detail plan View of the flexible apron.

The life boat contemplated in this invention comprises, in the preferred embodiment thereof, a collapsible frame embodying a cubical central portion A and front and rear substantially wedge-shaped portions B and C.

The central section of the boat comprises the two oppositely arranged sets of top and bottom longitudinal bars 1 and 2, and the vertical bars designated generally at D each i tively.

comprising an upper section 3 and a lower section 4 which are pivotally connected to gether at4 5 and which are pivotally connected at 6 and 7 to the extremities of the top and bottom side barsl and 2, respec- The two sides of the central part of the frame hereinabove described are connected at top and bottom by front and rear cross bars 8 and 9, respectively.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented rieb. as, i915.

Application led August 19, 1,914. Serial No. 857,551.

Each of the frbnt and rear wedge-shaped frames B and C comprises the upper and lower converging side bars 10 and 11, the end cross bar 12 to which the bars 10 and 11 are terminally'jpivoted, and a substantially horizontal distending bar designated generally at E, the same comprising two intertting and telescopic sections 13 and 14 adapted when drawn outward to the limit, to be held against mbving inwardly by means of a spring catch 15 adapted to be manipulated by hand to release the sections 13 and 14 whenv the frame is to be collapsed.

When the frameas a whole is completely extended or expanded as shown in Fig. 1, the central portion A thereofis held by means of diagonal -spreader braces 16 and 17 which are pivotally connected at the points 7 to' the'remainder of the frame and ,which are detachably fastened to the upper ends of the vertical barsD preferably by 4 covering or sheathing being fastened to the appropriate bars'of the collapsible frame in any convenient or preferred way. Beneath the bottom of the boat is an equilibration weight 20 which is shown as connected to the bottom of the boat by means of chains, cables or other flexible connections 21.

Access is had to the interior of the boat by means of a door or hatch 22 hinged to one of the top bars of the boat as shown at 23 and being fastened down by means of clamps or thumb screws 24. It is preferred to secure a rubber joint strip around the edges of the hatch 22 so as to make a watertight joint with the top of the deck of the boat when said hatch is closed. If desired, the hatch 22'may be provided with a transparent panel 25 of glass, for example for vobservation purposes. It is, however, preferred to form al circular opening 26 in the hatch 22 to receive the marginal edge of the disk-shaped apron 27 of a head covering hood 28 as shown in Fig. 5 and in connection with said hood, a clamping ring 29 is employed, the same being pivotally con-V V32 fulcrumed on a bracket 33 on top of the interiorly of the boat with a handle 35. This enables the clamping ring 29 to be opened and closed to release or fasten the apron 27 of the head covering hood 28.

A folding seat 36 is arranged Within the central portion of the boat and pivotally connected at 37 to the boat frame, suoli seat being adapted to fold through an arc of 90 degrees so as to permit the frame of the boat to bev folded from the position "shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2.

Ventilation tubes 38 extend through the top or deck of the bdat and have U-shaped or recurved terminal portions which face downwardly and contain check. valves 39 which allow air to freely enter the boat through said ventilation tubes and yet eX- clude Water in case the boat should overturn.

The propelling means comprises a pair of cup-shaped paddles 40 located on opposite sides of the central portion ofthe body and carried at the free ends by a pair of arms 4l connected to the opposite extremitiesof a common crank shaft 42 which passes through openings in the sides of the frame and is formed With a central operating ycrank handle 43 which enables the propelling blades or paddles to be operated from the interior of the boat.

' Any desired number of boats hereinabove described, when collapsed, as shown in Fig. 2 may be carried on a vessel for use in times of emergency and disaster, the boat being constructed with a view to simplicity and rapid manipulation. When the boat is fully`l closed and sealed, it is practically unsinkable, it is maintained in an upright position by means of the equilibration Weight, the interior of the boat is properly ventilated and the boat may be propelled by externally arranged propellers which are operable from the interior of the boat. If desired, the boat may be provided with a steering rudder 44 the post 45 of Which is provided with a cross head 46 from which operating ropes 47 extend into the interior of the boat. In some cases it may also be desirable to construct the boat in rigid or non-collapsible form but ordinarily it is preferred to make the boat collapsible for the sake of compactness in storage and transportation.

I also prefer to employ a flexible Waterproof apron or neck piece 48 Within the hood 28 as illustrated in Fig. 5, said apron being shown in plan view in Fig. 9. The apron is adapted to t around the neck of 1. A collapsible boat comprising a sub' stantially cubical center section and Wedgeshaped fore and aft end sections jointed to said center section, all of said sections being composed of bars having a jointed connection With each other and together forming a skeleton frame, a flexible Water tight cover inclosing said frame, and ahatch providing for ingress and egress to and from the interior of said boat.

2. A collapsible boat comprising a substantially cubical center section and Wedgeshaped fore and aft end sections jointed to said center section, all of said sections being composed of bars having a jointed connection with each other and together forming a skeletonframe, a iexible Water tight cover inclosing said frame, spreader braces for expanding said frame and holding the same ex'panded, andv a hatch providing for ingress and egress to and from theinterior of said boat. l

3. A collapsible boat comprising a substantially cubical center section and Wedgeshaped fore and aft `end sections jointed to said center section, all of said sections being composed of bars having a jointed connection with each other and together forming a skeleton frame, a flexible Water tight cover,

inclosing said frame, a hatch providing for ingress and egress to and from the interior of said boat, and a hinged and folding seat connected to the interior of said frame.

4. A 'life boat comprisingv a skeleton frame, a Water tight covering therefor, a

Asa y hatch in the deck of said boat provided With an opening therein, a flexible hood adapted to cover said opening, and a hood clamping frame on said hatch.

5. A life boat comprising a skeleton frame, a Water tight covering therefor, a

hatch in the deck of said boat provided with an opening therein, a flexible hood adapted to cover said opening, a hood clamping frame on said hatch, and means operable from the interior of the boat for moving said clamping frame.

' In testimony whereof I 'affix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

WILLIAM R. PARKINSON Witnesses:

GEO. W. ENGLISH, En SCHMITKER. 

